Abalos seeks deferment of mental hospital lot bidding

Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos has appealed for the cancellation of the bidding for a commercial portion of the Welfareville property where the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) sits because of the failure of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to first address the socialized housing component of the project.

In a letter to DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman, Abalos said that the DSWD should defer the bidding "until the basic rights of the (Welfareville) residents to acquire their just share of the property have been completely established and secured."

"We have resolved that only after certain issues regarding the assurance of land ownership by affected families residing in Welfareville have been addressed can the city be supportive of the developmental plan of the property," he noted. He went to the DSWD office in Batasan Complex in Quezon City yesterday to meet with those involved in the bidding and formalize his request.

The DSWD is now bidding out the "commercial high-end" area of Welfareville property where the NCMH and the Correctional Institute for Women sit. It is known as the Parcel 1 and measures 71 hectares.

The sale is mandated by Republic Act 5260 that was approved in 1968 in fulfillment of the Philippine government’s agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund and World Health Organization to strengthen programs and projects for children.

The DSWD is expecting to generate P13 billion from the sale which will be used to finance pro-children programs.

The DSWD will next sell parts of the 29-hectare Parcel 2 of Welfareville but assured that there will be a housing program there for the estimated 18,000 family-squatters in Welfareville.

Despite such plan, the program, raked in the strong opposition of the NCMH workers and patients and squatters who fear possible displacement.

According to Abalos, the DSWD should first bid out Parcel 2 before selling Parcel 1 to assure the residents that they will not lost their homes.

"The details of the socialized housing component of the program have not been laid down so how can we expect the residents there to relax. I’m going to move for the cancellation of the bidding. We have to harmonize economic development with socialized housing component," he added.

Abalos said that while the DSWD had already published invitations to bid Parcel 1, it has yet to forge a Memorandum of Agreement with the city of Mandaluyong to assure proper relocation of the squatters.

He revealed that the city government of Mandaluyong had already earmarked P1 billion for the purchase of a part of Parcel 2 to prevent displacement of the residents.

"We will not give this out to the residents for free. We’ll set a scheme in which they will be paying small amount on installment basis. But first, we have to get rid of the syndicates there to ensure that only the qualified residents will benefit," he added.

Abalos assured that the city will not participate in the bidding for the Parcel 1, which is envisioned to become a commercial area, but for Parcel 2 only for the benefit of the Welfareville residents.

"This issue had already caused much stir in the city. Lest we lose every gain we have in the development of this property, it is best to hold further proceedings on the bidding for the meantime, until after these questions on the socialized housing components are met," he maintained.